1. Field Of The Invention.
The invention relates to a veterinary inhalation therapy apparatus and more particularly to a veterinary inhalation therapy apparatus using liquid medication reduced to a fine spray for the treatment of upper respiratory conditions in small animals such as dogs and cats, confined in a cage or enclosure.
2. Description Of The Prior Art.
The treatment of upper respiratory conditions in small animals (small animal is a description commonly used in the art to refer to a class of animals including most of the common pets, particularly dogs and cats) by the traditional oral and parenteral medication has proven unsatisfactory for many veterinary practitioners. The patients often do not accept this type of medication, causing the owners difficulty in giving it to their pets. These factors have increased the interest in using inhalation therapy as an alternative of treatment.
Inhalation therapy incorporating nebulized liquid medication is virtually unused in veterinary medicine, apparently due to a lack of veterinary literature on the subject and corresponding unavailability of equipment for veterinary use. Although nebulization is used to some extent in human medicine, its application is somewhat controversial and equipment developed for use with human patients is not practical for veterinary use. Nebulizing equipment developed for human medicine is expensive, cumbersome, and requires skilled technicians to operate and maintain it.